Career and Education Opportunities for Fine Artists in Cleveland, Ohio

Many educational and employment opportunities exist for fine artists in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Currently, 650 people work as fine artists in Ohio. This is expected to shrink 8% to 600 people by 2016. This is not quite as good as the national trend for fine artists, which sees this job pool growing by about 9.0% over the next eight years. Fine artists generally create original artwork using any of a wide variety of mediums and techniques.

Fine artists earn about $17 per hour or $36,200 annually on average in Ohio and about $20 per hour or $42,650 per year on average nationally. Fine artists earn less than people working in the category of Art and Design generally in Ohio and less than people in the Art and Design category nationally. Fine artists work in a variety of jobs, including: comic book designer, apprentice, painter, statuary, and quick sketch artist.

The Cleveland area is home to 103 schools of higher education, including ten within twenty-five miles of Cleveland where you can get a degree as a fine artist. Fine artists usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so it will take about four years to learn to be a fine artist if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Fine Artist

Fine Artist video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, fine artists create original artwork using any of a wide variety of mediums and techniques.

Fine artists talk with clients and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced. They also study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors. Equally important, fine artists have to maintain portfolios of artistic work to exhibit styles and abilities. They are often called upon to submit preliminary or finished artwork or project plans to clients for approval, incorporating changes as needed. Finally, fine artists monitor events and other circumstances, research specific subject areas, attend art exhibitions, and read art publications in order to optimize concepts and keep current on art world efforts.

Every day, fine artists are expected to be able to distinguish between colors. They need to be creative and generate new ideas. It is also important that they visualize how things come together and can be organized.

It is important for fine artists to integrate and design visual elements, such as line and perspective, so as to produce desired effects such as the illustration of concepts or moods. They are often called upon to use materials such as pens and ink or computer software to generate artwork. They also cut and fasten individual or mixed raw and manufactured materials and products to fashion works of art. They are sometimes expected to develop finished art work as decoration, or to elucidate or substitute for spoken or written messages. Somewhat less frequently, fine artists are also expected to develop sketches or likenesses of posed subjects or photographs, using any combination of freehand drawing, mechanical assembly kits, and computer imaging.

Fine artists sometimes are asked to furnish entertainment at special events by performing efforts such as drawing cartoons. They also have to be able to model substances such as clay or wax, using fingers and small hand tools to fashion objects and shade and fill in sketch outlines and backgrounds, using a variety of media such as water colors and transparent washes, labeling designated colors when needed. And finally, they sometimes have to furnish entertainment at special events by performing efforts such as drawing cartoons.

Like many other jobs, fine artists must be thorough and dependable and be able to work independently and make decisions on their own.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Cleveland include:

Actor. Play parts in stage, television, or motion picture productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform audience. May dance and sing.

Graphic Designer. Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.

Industrial Designer. Develop and design manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children's toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

Interior Designer. Plan, design, and furnish interiors of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. Formulate design which is practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or improving life style. May specialize in a particular field, style, or phase of interior design.

Multi-Media Artist or Animator. Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, and commercials.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Fine Artist Training

University of Akron Main Campus - Akron, OH

University of Akron Main Campus, 302 Buchtel Common, Akron, OH 44325-4702. University of Akron Main Campus is a large university located in Akron, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 24,202 students. University of Akron Main Campus has 4 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Fine/Studio Arts, bachelor's degree which graduated 17 students in 2008.

Sculpture, bachelor's degree which graduated 1 student in 2008.

Ceramic Arts and Ceramics, bachelor's degree.

Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other Specialties, bachelor's degree which graduated 6 students in 2008.

Baldwin-Wallace College - Berea, OH

Baldwin-Wallace College, 275 Eastland Rd, Berea, OH 44017-2088. Baldwin-Wallace College is a small college located in Berea, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 4,374 students and an admission rate of 67%. Baldwin-Wallace College has 2 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Art/Art Studies, bachelor's degree which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Fine/Studio Arts, bachelor's degree which graduated 2 students in 2008.

Ursuline College - Pepper Pike, OH

Ursuline College, 2550 Lander Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124. Ursuline College is a small college located in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,430 students and an admission rate of 43%. Ursuline College has a bachelor's degree program in Fine/Studio Arts.

Notre Dame College - Cleveland, OH

Notre Dame College, 4545 College Rd, Cleveland, OH 44121-4293. Notre Dame College is a small college located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,599 students and an admission rate of 40%. Notre Dame College has 2 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Visual and Performing Arts, bachelor's degree.

Fine/Studio Arts, bachelor's degree.

Oberlin College - Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College, 70 N Professor St, Oberlin, OH 44074. Oberlin College is a small college located in Oberlin, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,860 students and an admission rate of 33%. Oberlin College has a bachelor's degree program in Fine/Studio Arts which graduated seven students in 2008.

Cleveland State University - Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214. Cleveland State University is a large university located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 15,010 students and an admission rate of 74%. Cleveland State University has a bachelor's degree program in Art/Art Studies which graduated three students in 2008.

Hiram College - Hiram, OH

Hiram College, Hinsdale Hall Third Floor, Hiram, OH 44234-0067. Hiram College is a small college located in Hiram, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,367 students and an admission rate of 75%. Hiram College has 2 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Art/Art Studies, bachelor's degree which graduated 1 student in 2008.

Fine/Studio Arts, bachelor's degree.

Lake Erie College - Painesville, OH

Lake Erie College, 391 W Washington St, Painesville, OH 44077-3389. Lake Erie College is a small college located in Painesville, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,059 students and an admission rate of 62%. Lake Erie College has a bachelor's degree program in Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other Specialties which graduated one student in 2008.

Kent State University Kent Campus - Kent, OH

Kent State University Kent Campus, , Kent, OH 44242-0001. Kent State University Kent Campus is a large university located in Kent, Ohio. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 22,944 students and an admission rate of 80%. Kent State University Kent Campus has 2 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Visual and Performing Arts, bachelor's degree which graduated 18 students in 2008.

Painting, bachelor's degree and master's degree which graduated eighteen and eight students respectively in 2008.

Cleveland Institute of Art - Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Institute of Art, 11141 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106-1710. Cleveland Institute of Art is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 503 students and an admission rate of 87%. Cleveland Institute of Art has 6 areas of study related to Fine Artist. They are:

Drawing, bachelor's degree which graduated 6 students in 2008.

Painting, bachelor's degree which graduated 11 students in 2008.

Sculpture, bachelor's degree which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Ceramic Arts and Ceramics, bachelor's degree which graduated 2 students in 2008.

Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other Specialties, bachelor's degree which graduated 4 students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio photo by FlickreviewR

Cleveland is situated in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It has a population of over 433,748, which has shrunk by 9.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Cleveland, 81, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Cleveland are valued at $94,100 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred nine new homes were built in Cleveland, down from one hundred eighty-four the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Cleveland are health care, accommodation and food services, and educational services. For men, it is metal and metal products, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 26 minutes. More than 11.4% of Cleveland residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 3.8%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Cleveland is 10.5%, which is greater than Ohio's average of 10.0%.

The percentage of Cleveland residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 57.8%, is more than both the national and state average. Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Abyssinia Baptist Church and Highland Christian Church are among the churches located in Cleveland. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Cleveland is home to the Mastick Woods Golf Course and the Dock Number 32 as well as Shaker Square Historic District and Newton Avenue Historic District. Shopping malls in the area include Shaker-Moreland Shopping Center, Shaker Square Shopping Center and Clark West 30th Shopping Center. Visitors to Cleveland can choose from Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Gateway, Airport Sheraton and Extended Stayamerica for temporary stays in the area.